Commercial fast-food establishments, comprising the burgeoning fast-food industry, obviously require food to be cooked in a relatively short period of time so as to rapidly serve their customers in accordance with what is probably the number one reason consumers patronize fast-food establishments, namely, that the consumers know that they can receive their ordered food in a relatively quick manner or short period of time. Some fast-food cooking appliances or apparatus have in fact employed steam in some capacity as a method of cooking their food products, that is, the appliances, equipment, or apparatus used steam in conjunction with heating apparatus, however, when cooking each new batch of fast-food products, water would have to effectively be poured onto the grilling surface in order to generate the desired steam. Not only did this cooking process effectively slow down the over cooking time per batch of fresh food being prepared, but the food products were not effectively cooked in an even or balanced manner throughout the food product, that is, from top to bottom, because substantially all of the cooking heat was being generated from the underside portion of the food product. In addition, spatial considerations within a particular fast-food establishment usually mandate limited kitchen facility areas which, in turn, usually mandate the use of relatively small or compact food cooking appliances such as, for example, those that can be placed or installed upon tabletops or countertops.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein the aforenoted disadvantages or operational drawbacks characteristic of conventional food cooking apparatus, equipment, or appliances are effectively overcome or eliminated. More particularly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein the appliance or apparatus is relatively small in size. Still more particularly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein a steam generator can effectively be fluidically connected with one or more food cooking chambers so as to supply steam into the food cooking chambers. Still yet further, a need exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein steam, generated from a steam generator, can be utilized in conjunction with a heated platen or grill whereby both sources of heat can effectively be utilized to cook food products. Yet further, a need exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein steam, generated from a steam generator, can be utilized in conjunction with a heated platen or grill such that both sources of heat can be effectively utilized to cook food products in a relatively quick manner and a relatively shortened period of time. Yet still further, a need exists in the art for a new and improved food cooking appliance or apparatus wherein steam, generated from a steam generator, can be utilized in conjunction with a heated platen or grill such that both sources of heat can be effectively utilized to cook food products such that the cooked food products are thoroughly cooked as a result of the steam being conducted into the upper regions of the food cooking chambers while the heated platen or grill generate heat which is effectively conducted into the lower regions of the food cooking chambers.